Carpet sweeper



May 18, 1943 F. w. PULLEN CARPET SWEEPER Filed March 2, 1942 IN V EN TOR. Wwf 14( /2// Patented May 18A, 1943 CARPET' swEErEa.

Fred'W. Pullen, Grand Rapids, lvIich.,.assignor to Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co., Grand "Rapids, j

Mich.

Application-,March 2, 1942, Serial No. i3-2,950

(Cl. l-`41) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements incarpet sweepers.

This invention relates .to Icarpet sweepers and particularly to the dustpan dumping mechanism therefor.

It has 'for its objects:

First, to provide a new and improved dustpan dumping mechanism.

Second, to provide such a dustpan mechanism which is simple and inexpensive.

Third, to provide such a dustpan mechanism in which a spring is employed to hold 'the dustpans in closed position and which is capable of holding the dustpans in open positionwhen they have been opened, so that it is not necessary for the operator of the carpet sweeper to hold the pans open during dumping or to manipulate ani7 closing mechanism to close the pans after they have been dumped.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation will appear from the description to follow. A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a carpet sweeper casing showing the improved dustpan dumping mechanism and its position when the dustpans are closed.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the carpet sweeper shown in Fig. 1, partly in section, showing the dustpan dumping mechanism from the opposite end and with the pans in open or dumping position.

The carpet sweeper has a case I and a rotary brush 2 extending centrally and longitudinally thereof. The carpet sweeper is provided with the usual wheels 3 which are mounted on axles 4 extending through tubes 5. The dustpans 6 are pivoted at 'I on axes parallel to the axis of the brush and swing about the pivotal axis I from the closed position shown in Fig. 1 to the open position shown in Fig. 2. These pans 6 are spaced apart to permit the brush to extend therebetween to the oor and when they are in the closed position they abut against the bottom of the case. For dumping their outer edges 8 pivot downwardly.

A spring 9 extends upwardly between the pans. Its end I0 are pivotally connected to the pans. The spring is biased so that the ends exert forces outwardly.

The ends Il] of the springs 9 are pivoted to the pans at points spaced from the pivotal axes 'I thereof. The points of pivoting indicated at II are so disposed that when the pans are in closed position the points fall below the pivotal axes I of thepansas shown yin Fig. 1. The outward bias of the spring thus -tends to rotate pans around the axes l toward closed lposition to hold the pans infclosed position. When the pans are open, the-:points of .pivotal attachment II lie above the pivotal axes 1 of the pans and the spring thus tends to reverse the direction of pivoting of the pans about their axes and tends to move them toward the open position shown in Fig. 2 and to hold them in this position. The pans are opened by means of a lever I2 pivoted at I3 in the end of the case. The lever I2 has an inner offset end I4 with a nib I5 extending at right angles and lying under the spring 9. The lever I2 has an outer portion I6 provided with a nger plate I1.

Stops I8 which engage the pans to keep them from pivoting beyondthe position shown in Fig. 2 are provided on the end of the case. These stops are so located that the pans when opened will not be urged by the spring completely around the pivotal axis 'I to place the pans beneath the brush. The pans are thus kept in a position such that when the sweeper is placed on the floor the weight of the sweeper resting on the pans will move them toward the closed position.

When the operator wishes to open the pans, pressure is exerted on the linger plate I'I, pushing it downwardly. The inner end of the lever is thus raised and it engages the spring 9 and raises it upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2'. In closed position the spring 9 tends to hold the pans in closed position. When the lever I2 carries the spring upwardly, the ends of the spring pass beyond a dead center point and exert a force tending to rotate the pans to the open position against the stop pins I8, thus holding the pans open for dumping. When the operator wishes to close the pans, this may be accomplished by merely setting the sweeper on the floor. The weight of the sweeper will then cause the pans to swing toward the closed position and the spring 9 will complete the closing thereof. If desired, the operator may merely push the pans to closed position by hand.

The terms and expressions which have been herein employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and-described, or portions thereof. It is recognized that various modifications arev possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I when they are open whereby in open position the pans are in a slanting position, a spring having its ends biased outwardly and pivotally connected to the pans at points spaced inwardly toward the brush from the axis of pivoting of the pans and so located as to be below the axis of pivoting of the pans when the outer edges of the pans lie at floor level and above the axis of pivoting of the pans when the pans are open, whereby the spring will close the pans if the sweeper is placed on the oor with the pans open to close them to floor level and will hold the pans in open position when they are open.

2. In a carpet sweeper having a case with a centrally disposed longitudinally extending rotary brush and a pair of spaced dustpans extending parallel to the brush and adapted to close the bottom of the case on opposite sides of the brush and pivoted on axes parallel to the axis of the brush with their outer edges adapted to swing downwardly for dumping, stop means to prevent the pans from swinging to a Vertical position when they are open whereby in open position the pans are in a slanting position, spring means under tension connected to each pan at a point spaced from its axis of pivoting to swing said pan about said axis, said point of connection being so positioned relative to said spring means and said axis that the tension of the spring exerts a force on said pan having a rotational component about said axis in a pan opening direction when said pan is in full open position and a force having an opposite and pan closing rotational component about said axis when the outer edge of said pan lies at oor level, whereby the spring will close the pans if the sweeper is placed on the oor with the pans open to close them to oor level and will hold the pans in open position when they are open.

FRED W. PULLEN. 

